WEST, GULF COHORTS PUSH SYRIAN POWER MONOPLOY FROM OUTSIDE NATION

Washington will offer another 12 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid for Syria’s embattled population, and will also provide communication equipment to help opposition forces evade government attacks.

Aiding the opposition financially and technically signals deeper involvement by the international community in the conflict in Syria that might eventually lead to a military intervention under humanitarian terms.

DAMASCUS: Syrian analysts and observers of all political affiliations lambasted the decision made Sunday by the international group “Friends of Syria” to recognize the opposition Syrian National Council (SNC) as the sole representative of the Syrian people, saying the decision is devotion to the principle of power monopoly.

Analysts said the recognition is reminiscent of the principle of totalitarian rule, which runs counter to the foundations of democracy advocated by Western countries.

Representatives from more than 80 countries voiced support to the Syrian opposition as they met in Turkey’s Istanbul Sunday, seeking to mount international pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government to stop the year-long violence and agree on a peaceful political transition.

The meeting agreed to recognize the opposition broad-based SNC as a legitimate representative of all Syrians and an umbrella organization for Syrian opposition groups.

“This is devotion to the totalitarian concept of monopolizing authority,” Rajaa Naser, an opposition figure said.

Speaking to Xinhua, Naser said that “the SNC is only a representative of its followers and it can’t be a representative of the Syrian people,” stressing that such a decision will not meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Naser suggested that the only way out of the crisis is through an immediate halttoof violence in accordance with the initiative put forward by the UN and Arab League (AL) envoy to Syria Kofi Annan.

Annan’s initiative calls for an end to violence in Syria by all parties, a proposal for a cease-fire initiated by the Syrian government, a daily halt in fighting for the delivery of humanitarian aid and treatment for the wounded, as well as talks between the government and opposition.

Syria has officially approved the plan but refused to pull troops from restive cities until peace and stability are restored in these areas.

Another opponent figure, Ali Haidar, chairman of the opposition Syrian Social National Party, regarded the recognition as “a promise of the incapable to the worthless.”

He said the conferees in Istanbul do not have the right to name representatives on behalf of the Syrians because only the people have the right to choose who represent them. “This is a new failure in the search for an exit to Syria’s crisis,” he said.

Haidar, also a member of the opposing Popular Front for Liberation and Change, pointed out that the SNC is just one part of the opposition. “Where are other opposition parties?” he questioned.

It is an attempt to overshadow other opposition parties inside Syria, which reflect the double standards in dealing with the Syrian opposition by favoring one opposing party over the others, Haidar added.

Meanwhile, Hamdi Abdullah, a pro-government analyst, said the recognition by the superpowers runs contrary to democracy.

“It’s impermissible for Arab and foreign countries to meet outside Syrian territory and decide to legitimize representatives on behalf of the Syrian people,” Abdullah said.

Downplaying the repercussions of the recognition, Abdullah said “this step will remain confined to the countries that have agreed to recognize the National Council, and will not be of practical results on the ground or possess any other political connotations.”

In Istanbul, the conference also vowed to render all possible assistance, both technical advice and direct support, to a Syria-led political process that is peaceful, orderly and stable. It also agreed to continue and increase, as a matter of urgency, its assistance, including funding and financial support, to meet the needs of the Syrian people.

Meanwhile, Washington will offer another 12 million U.S. dollars in humanitarian aid for Syria’s embattled population, and will also provide communication equipment to help opposition forces evade government attacks.

Aiding the opposition financially and technically signals deeper involvement by the international community in the conflict in Syria that might eventually lead to a military intervention under humanitarian terms.